Chapter 8: IT Service Management. Topics covered: 1.1 Roles of helpdesk support staff. 1.2 Different types of helpdesk support level

Transcription

1 1 Chapter 8: IT Service Management Topics covered: 1.1 Roles of helpdesk support staff 1.2 Different types of helpdesk support level 1.3 Role of Internet Service Provider (ISP) 1.4 Change request process 1.5 Asset and inventory management 1.6 System and network management 1.7 Change configuration management

2 2 Roles of helpdesk support staff Nowadays, an organisation usually has a IT Service Helpdesk. It acts as the single point of support for a company s critical IT infrastructure and also for end users hardware and software. It must be contactable on all possible communication mediums and provide end-toend responsibility of the calls till problems are resolved. Successful IT departments ensure : - they are good at solving problems - provide great customer service to their clients The role of the IT Helpdesk:: A means to report, manage and resolve problems identified by customers A marketing tool for IT department or business. Helpdesk support personnel need to be trained to provide excellent problem management and resolution skills, using the tools and technical training required, to do their job effectively and efficiently. Problem Management aims at providing the appropriate tools and procedures for Helpdesk personnel. The tools include: a) Telephony and ACD (Automatic Call Distributor), b) CTI (Computer Telephony Integration), c) Helpdesk Software (for problem and change management) and documented policies and procedures are just some of the most important areas that need to be implemented and adhered to. d) Customer Service Ensure all Helpdesk personnel have good customer service skills and have appropriate training in how to manage their customers: from efficient call handling, through escalation procedures for dealing with irate customers.

3 3 KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES of Helpdesk Personnel: Identifies, diagnoses, and resolves Level One problems for users of personal computer software and hardware, network, the Internet and communicates solutions to end-users. Provides one-on-one end-user problem resolution over the phone for Personal Computer (PC) software. Delivers, tags, sets up, and assists in the configuration of end-user PC desktop hardware, software and peripherals. Diagnoses and resolves end-user network or local printer problems, PC hardware problems and , Internet, dial-in, and local-area network access problems. Coordinates timely repair of PC computer equipment covered by third-party vendor maintenance agreements. Performs minor desktop hardware repair for PC computer equipment and peripherals that are not covered by third-party vendor maintenance agreements. Helps install local area network cabling systems and equipment such as network interface cards, hubs and switches. There are different types of helpdesk support level. In general there are 3 levels to a helpdesk support setup. This setup provides a way to monitor a fault reported by a customer. Support Level 1 Support Level 2 Support personnel here will try to resolve level 1 problem such as configuration, connection or user setup problem. If the level 1 helpdesk support personnel cannot resolve the problem, it will be immediately escalated to the next level (Level 2) support personnel for technical assistance and resolution. Support personnel will research, investigate and work towards resolution of the problem. Call Centre Service Personnel will get updates from level 2 staff and then contact the Customer and/or Users to provide the solution to the reported problem. The Call Centre Service Personnel shall monitor the case until it is closed. Alternatively, the level 2 support personnel may contact the Customer and/or Users directly to provide the appropriate solution. If the level 2 helpdesk support personnel cannot resolve the problem, it will be immediately escalated to the next level (Level 3) support personnel for technical assistance and resolution.

4 4 Support Level 3 Level 3 - Support personnel will be the field Technicians or Engineers that will pay a visit to the end users premises or in the cast of a corporate environment it will be the users of the machine or the system in the corporate office. They will work closely with either the level 1 or level 2 support personnel to provide end-to-end troubleshooting till the problem it resolved and the reported problem shall be classified as "Closed" upon the provision of a solution to the Customer and/or Users. Severity Level On top of the 3 levels, there is the severity level (system error or issues) that are normally defined in the service level agreement (SLA). It varies from Organization to Organization. Severity 1 (Immediate Attention) Severity 2 (Urgent) Severity 3 (Normal) Description of Problem The problem affects mission critical systems such that the Customer and/or the Users is unable to perform its business functions. The problem affects a particular process or system for which there are alternatives for bypassing the problem. Customer and/or User's use of the System is continuing but not stopped. The problem has minimal effect on the Customer and/or the Users' ability to perform its functions. For each reported problem, an appropriate severity level will be assigned. Selection is based on the impact caused by the system error or issues. The helpdesk personnel taking the call will inform the Customer and/or User of the level. For each severity level of the System error or issue, the helpdesk support personnel will begin work on the error. They will use reasonable commercial efforts to resolve reported problems within the following timeframes: Severity 1 (Immediate Attention) Severity 2 (Urgent) Timeframe (time period to solve problem) Within two (2) hours. If the problem cannot be resolved within the above time limits, the helpdesk personnel will work continuously until the problem is resolved or an acceptable workaround is achieved. Helpdesk personnel will update the Customer on the work progress every hour until problem resolution or an acceptable workaround is achieved. Within four (4) hours, If the problem cannot be resolved within the above time limits, the helpdesk personnel will work continuously until the problem is resolved or an acceptable workaround is achieved.

5 5 Severity 3 (Normal) Helpdesk personnel will update the Customer on the work progress every 2 hours until problem resolution or an acceptable workaround is achieved. Within one (1) working day. If the problem cannot be resolved within the above time limits, the helpdesk personnel will work continuously until the problem is resolved or an acceptable workaround is achieved. Helpdesk personnel will update the Customer on the work progress every 4 hours until problem resolution or an acceptable workaround is achieved. The response time shall start from the time, the problem is given the Unique Incident Number. This number indicates that the problem has been logged with the Call Centre, OR the Customer reports the problem to the Technical Assistance personnel. Role of Internet Service Provider (ISP) An Internet Service Provider (also known as an ISP or even as an IAP, internet access provider) is a firm that offers subscribers access to the internet. Eg, Singtel, Starhub, etc. These ISPs focus on DSL, Cable modem, wireless, and dedicated high-speed interconnects such as T1 or fibre optic service. They offer varying levels of service, coverage, as well as personal customer service that comes attached with it. An ISP is a complete package of services, which should be researched and considered before one is selected. For most users, the most important qualification is the speed of the connection. DSL is slow at 128 Kilobits per second. Some are as fast as 3000 Kilobits per second. Buyer has to decide what to use. Once decided upon, the buyer needs to research their alternatives, and determine the best solution for their budget and needs.

6 6 How an ISP Works An ISP can be either privately owned, i.e., by an individual, or they can be group owned, i.e., by a group of individuals/community. ISPs are classified based on the way in which they provide service to their customers. There are 5 types of ISPs: Dial-up DSL Cable/FiberOptic Wi-Fi Satellite All of them have varying speeds and their own pros and cons. There are various terms related to the Internet. a. Modem Every computer that connects to the Internet has to do so using a modem. Modem stands for 'modulator-demodulator'. It modulates the data received from the user PC and convert it into digital form and pass the information to the Internet service provider. The data that it receives from the Internet service provider is the form of digital signal, and so it demodulates the data back to the user PC. b. IP Address IP stands for Internet Protocol. Every computer that connects to the Internet is assigned an IP address by the ISP. c. DHCP A protocol is nothing but a set of rules that decides the process of doing a work. The dynamic host control (DHCP) protocol is used by the ISP to assign temporary addresses to any of its subscribers who intend to connect to the Internet. DHCP d. Backbone of ISP This is the point that connects your ISP to the Internet. The ISPs buy a particular range of bandwidth for the working of its backbone. It is through this bandwidth that information is sent or received. The ISP Data Centre The Internet service provider carries out its entire functioning at the data centre. The advanced data centres consist of various equipment. A pool of modems inside the data centre is used to connect every subscriber to the Internet. Once a modem in the pool receives the information, it connects the subscriber to the backbone which links it to the internet.

7 7 ISPs have large caches and transferring data to and from hundreds of computers at superfast speeds. Hence, it is very important to maintain ISPs properly and have the necessary equipment required to do so. Cooling devices and backup power supplies are among the important components used by an ISP to ensure its smooth operation. These components are of utmost importance for the effective functioning of the ISP. Change Request Process In a company, any stakeholder can submit a request to change any area in the company. Once a change request is received, it must go through the Change Request Process. Change Request (CR) A formally submitted request that is used to track all stakeholder requests along with related status information throughout the project lifecycle. Type of change can include new features, enhancement requests, defects, changed requirements, etc. All change history will be maintained with the Change Request, including all state changes along with dates and reasons for the change. This information will be available for any repeat reviews and for the final closing. Change (or Configuration) Control Board (CCB) This board of people oversees the change process. It consists of representatives from all interested parties, including customers, developers, and users. In a small project, a single team member, such as the project manager or software architect, may play this role.

8 8 CCB Review Meeting The function of this meeting is to review Submitted Change Requests to determine if a request is valid. If valid, the change checked if it is in or out of scope, based on priority, schedule, resources, level-of-effort, risk, severity and any other relevant criteria as determined by the group. This meeting is usually held once per week or as frequently as daily if volume increase. Members of the CCB Review Meeting are the - Test, - Development and - a member of the Marketing Department. Additional attendees may be deemed necessary by the members on an "as needed" basis. Change Request Submit Form This form is displayed when a Change Request is submitted for the first time. Only the fields necessary for the submitter to complete are displayed on the form. Change Request Combined Form This form is displayed when you are reviewing a Change Request that has already been submitted. It contains all the fields necessary to describe the Change Request. The following outline of the Change Request process describes the states and statuses of Change Requests through their overall process, and the people who need to be notified during the Lifecycle of the Change Request. Sample Change Request Management (CRM) Process Activity Descriptions: Activity Description Responsibility 1. Submit CR 2. Review CR Any stakeholder of the project can submit a Change Request (CR). The Change Request is logged into the Change Request Tracking System and is placed into the CCB Review Queue, by setting the Change Request State to Submitted. The function of this activity is to review Submitted Change Requests. An initial review of the contents of the Change Request is done in the CCB Review meeting to determine if it is a valid request. If so, then a determination is made if the change is in or out of scope for the current release(s), based on priority, schedule, resources, level-ofeffort, risk, severity and any other relevant criteria as determined by the Submitter CCB

9 9 3. Confirm Duplicate or Reject 4. Update CR 5. Assign & Schedule Work 6. Make Changes 7. Verify Changes in Test Build group. If a Change Request is suspected of being a Duplicate or Rejected as an invalid request (e.g., operator error, not reproducible, the way it works, etc.), a delegate of the CCB is assigned to confirm the duplicate or rejected Change Request and to gather more information from the submitter, if necessary. If more information is needed (More Info) to evaluate a Change Request, or if a Change Request is rejected at any point in the process (e.g., confirmed as a Duplicate, Rejected, etc.), the submitter is notified and may update the Change Request with new information. The updated Change Request is then resubmitted to the CCB Review Queue for consideration of the new data. Once a Change Request is Opened, the will then assign the work to the appropriate team member depending on the type of request (e.g., enhancement request, defect, documentation change, test defect, etc.) and make any needed updates to the project schedule. The assigned team member performs the set of activities defined within the appropriate section of the process (e.g., requirements, analysis & design, implementation, produces user-support materials, design test, etc.) to make the changes requested. These activities will include all normal review and unit test activities as described within the normal development process. The Change Request will then be marked as Resolved. After the changes are Resolved by the assigned team member (analyst, developer, tester, tech writer, etc.), the changes are placed into a test queue to be assigned to a tester and Verified in a CCB Delegate Submitter Assigned Team Member Tester

10 10 8. Verify Changes in Release Build test build of the product. Once the resolved changes have been Verified in a test build of the product, the Change Request is placed into a release queue to be verified against a release build of the product, produce release notes, etc. and Close the Change Request. /CCB Example with Sample Data: : Network Upgrade Change No. CR001 Change Type Design/ Scope CR002 Schedule CR003 Design/ Scope Description of Change This change request calls for replacing existing ABC network routers with NextGen 3000 routers. This change request calls for delaying the existing schedule by one week to ensure all applications are backed up which was not considered in the original project plan. This change request calls for modifying existing network firewalls to add intrusion detection systems to enhance network security. Requestor Change Log Date Date Submitted Approved Date: 24/05/20xx Status Comments Jelly Bean 15/04/xx N/A Denied This request was denied by the change control board because there is not adequate funding available for the purchase of new routers and because the request is outside of the project's scope. This request was approved to ensure the security and continuity of all applications. One week will be added C. 18/04/xx 14/05/xx Approved to the project Jonhson schedule and the project manager will communicate the impact of this change to all stakeholders. Chris Tom 20/04/xx N/A Deferred This request was deferred and is pending a determination of the impact of the project's costs, schedule and scope.

11 11 Sample Change Request Management (CRM) State Descriptions: State Definition Access Control Submitted Postponed Duplicate This state occurs as the result of 1) a new Change Request submission, 2) update of an existing Change Request or 3) consideration of a Postponed Change Request for a new release cycle. Change Request is placed in the CCB Review queue. No owner assignment takes place as a result of this action. Change Request is determined to be valid, but "out of scope" for the current release(s). Change Requests in the Postponed state will be held and reconsidered for future releases. A target release may be assigned to indicate the timeframe in which the Change Request may be Submitted to re-enter the CCB Review queue. A Change Request in this state is believed to be a duplicate of another Change Request that has already been submitted. Change Requests can be put into this state by the CCB Review or by the team member assigned to resolve it. When the Change Request is placed into the Duplicate state, the Change Request number it duplicates will be recorded. A submitter should initially query the Change Request database for duplicates of a Change Request before it is submitted. This will prevent several steps of the review process and therefore save a lot of time. Submitters of duplicate Change Requests should be added to the notification list of the original Change All Users QE Development

12 12 Rejected More Info Opened Request for future notifications regarding resolution. A Change Request in this state is determined by in the CCB Review Meeting or by the assigned team member to be an invalid request or more information is needed from the submitter. If already assigned (Open), the Change Request is removed from the resolution queue and will be reviewed again. A designated authority of the CCB is assigned to confirm. No action is required from the submitter unless deemed necessary, in which case the Change Request state will be changed to More Info. The Change Request will be reviewed again in the CCB Review Meeting considering any new information. If confirmed invalid, the Change Request will be Closed by the CCB and the submitter notified. Insufficient data exist to confirm the validity of a Reject or Duplicate Change Request. The owner automatically gets changed to the submitter who is notified to provide more data. A Change Request in this state has been determined to be "in scope" for the current release and is awaiting resolution. It has been slated for resolution before an upcoming target milestone. It is defined as being in the "assignment queue". The meeting members are the sole authority for opening a Change Request into the resolution queue. If a Change Request of priority two or higher is found, it should be brought to the immediate attention of the QE or Development. At that point they may decide to convene an emergency CCB Review Meeting or simply open the Change Request into the resolution queue instantly. Development Test Development QE Department

13 13 Assigned Resolved Test Failed Verified Closed An Opened Change Request is then the responsibility of the to Assign Work based on the type of Change Request and update the schedule, if appropriate. Signifies that the resolution of this Change Request is complete and is now ready for verification. If the submitter was a member of the QE Department, the owner automatically gets changed to the submitting QE member; otherwise, it changes to the QE for manual re-assignment. A Change Request that fails testing in either a test build or a release build will be placed in this state. The owner automatically gets changed to the team member who resolved the Change Request. A Change Request in this state has been Verified in a test build and is ready to be included in a release. Change Request no longer requires attention. This is the final state a Change Request can be assigned. Only the CCB Review has the authority to close a Change Request. When a Change Request is Closed, the submitter will receive an notification with the final disposition of the Change Request. A Change Request may be Closed: 1) after its Verified resolution is validated in a release build, 2) when its Reject state is confirmed, or 3) when it is confirmed as a Duplicate of an existing Change Request. In the latter case, the submitter will be informed of the duplicate Change Request and will be added to that Change Request for future notifications (see the definitions of states "Reject" Development QE Development Department QE Department QE Department

14 14 and "Duplicate" for more details). If the submitter wishes to contest a closing, the Change Request must be updated and re-submitted for CCB review.